Hair clipper



W. A. SNEED HAIR CLIPPER April 28, 1953 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Original Filed Dec. 30, 1949 TNVENTOR.

Any.

W. A. SNEED HAIR CLIPPER April 28, 1953 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Original Filed Dec. 30, 1949 INVEN TOR. WAS/{512 Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIR CLIPPER Wellington Arthur Sneed, Davenport, Iowa Original application December 30, 1949, Serial No. 136,073, now Patent No. 2,603,865, dated July 22, 1952a Divided and this application May 2, 1952, Serial No. 285,616

5 Claims. l

Th present invention relates to hair cutting devices, particularly to hair clippers, and the like, and is a division of my application, Serial No. 136,073, filed December 30, 1949, now Patent No. 2,603,865, granted July 22, 1952.

The object and general nature of this invention is the provision of a hair cutting implement by which one may cut his own hair easily and conveniently, especially the hair at the back of the head and neck. More specifically, it is an important feature of this invention to provide a hair cutting device which is especially constructed to be held by one hand, with the fingers engaging the device at its upper portion when it is held back of the neck or head and with the thumb engaging and operating the cutting unit by an upward movement of the thumb, as by the simple act of contracting the hand when it holds the device back of the head, with the finger-receiving portions disposed upwardly.

Further objects of this invention are the pro vision of a hair cutting device having detachable and interchangeabIe comb units, so as to adapt the device for most convenient use with either thin or thick hair and for cutting hair of different lengths and/or under variable conditions of use; the provision of a hair cutting device comprising a fixed cutterbar and a swingable cutter blade pivotally associated therewith by means which facilitates adjustment of the pivot axis of the swingable element; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilitiesas will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed herein. My invention further resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, while I have shown therein what is now regarded as the preferred embodiment of this invention, I desire the same to be understood as illustrative only and not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view taken along the plane indicated by the line 2-2, Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a top view taken along the plane indicated by the line 3-3, Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is an end view taken substantially along 2 the plane indicated by the line 44, Fig. l, with the swingable cutter blade in a position to begin its cutting stroke;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the swingable cutter blade after starting its cutting stroke;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the line 6-6, Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a detail view of one of the auxiliary comb guide units attachable to the frame of the device;

. Fig. 8 is a side view of the comb guide member shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is anend view of the same comb guide member;

Figs. 10 to 12 are views similar to Figs. 7 to 9, showing another form of auxiliary comb guide;

Figs. 13 to 15 are detail views of the swingably mounted cutter blade; and

Fig. 16 is a sectional view showing the latching means forholding the auxiliary comb member in place.

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the annexed drawings for a more complete description of this invention. In Figs. 1 to 5, the hair cutting device of the present invention incorporates a frame I comprising an elongated member having at one end a finger hold section 2 provided with three finger holes 3 and at the other end with a forked section 4 having sides 5 and 6, the plane of the latter lying at right angles to the plane of the finger hold section 2. Fixed to the forked section 4 of the frame I, between the sides 5'and 6 thereof, is a U-shaped part 9 which has sides I l and I2 fixed to the sides 5 and 6. Thecentral section I3 of the U-shaped part 9 carries a stationary cutterbar M which is se- 'cured in place by bolts l5, or other suitable means, and a toothed comb guide section l6 having a plurality of teeth I! extending at an acute angle relative to the frame I and directed, in general, toward the finger hold section 2. The base or central portion l8 of the comb guide part has grooves l9 aligned with the spaces between the teeth IT, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The sides I l and 12 are slotted to receive a pivot shaft 23 upon which a rockable cutter unit 24 is swingably mounted. The unit 24 comprises a U-shaped part 25 having sides 26 and 21 apertured to receive the pivot shaft 23. On end of the shaft 23 is carried in a shiftable bearing 28,

the position of which relative to the frame I is adjusted by a screw-threaded member 29 carried in lugs 30 on the side l2, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The other end of the pivot shaft 23 is pressed toward the cutteroar M by a springbiased plunger 33 connected to the shaft 23 and acted upon by a spring 34 disposed in a casing 35 which is fixed to the side i i. Adjustment of the spring 3% is eiiected by a screw-threaded member 38 at the outer end of the spring casing 35.

The rockable cutter unit M has at its central portion anextension 33 which is approximately a segment of acylinder, and upon'which-a cutter blade 39, in an angled position, is fixed, as by screws 4! and a clamp bar 42 which the screws 4| fasten to the extension 35. A thumb-receiving socket 33 is formed on the member 24 by a thumb strap 44, attached in any suitablamannertcthe. central section of the U-shaped member 25'. The

swingable member 24 is biasedfor movementzto: the position shown in Figs. 1' and 'fi by a torsion spring ll encircling the shaft QWEIidhEViilgj-OHE end 48 fixed to the stationary frame side H, and the other end 49 is fixed to the Slde;21r0 the rockable cutter unit 24':- A sleeve 5| extends around the spring 41.

The comb guide teeth ill are. primarily designed for use with short hair, as at thebacl: of theneck. For use where the hair is thicker, I provide a pair of auxiliary comb guide units 6H. andL'ld. Roi-erringfirst to the unit shown in Figs. 1.0 role, the unit comprises .a base member. 6! having a plurality of grooves 62 and a plurality ofopenings 63.in.which theteeth. 64 are fixed. A curved pin fiiis secured to each endoi the bar El and they are, adapted tobe detachably. received in a pair of'openings 86 in the end portions of the Dasha-pod framepart Stand held therein by any suitable holding means, comprising a lever li'l'pivoted at 8B totheside. H, actuated into holding. position 1 by, a. spring 59 andprovided with a.holding' nose 6.1a. engaging the notches in. they pins, 85' or. T3. The pins 65 may be ridged or. serrated. if desired. The unit 513 is shaped sothat the. teeth Gd lie, below theteeth i i.

The auxiliary comb guide unit '50 is substantially likethe unit Bil exceptthat the teeth H are longer than. the. teeth 6'4. The. base. 12 is. dimensionally similar to the basefi i. and theatt'aching pins 73. are adapted to be, mounted in the openings 65, the sameasthe pins 65.

The. operation. of this device is asiollows. The user. places first, second, and third. fingers in. the openings 3 at the end of theirame 1,. and then places his. thumb in, the. thumb socket d3. This 1 r enables the. user. to firmly hold the device. Held inthis fashion, when. the user brings his hand black of his head in a natural'position; regardless of'whether the deviceisheld in the left. handor in. the. right hand, the finger hold end 2 is up.- permost' and the. com-lov guide I8 is in a lowermost position with the teeth I1. extending upwardly. Then, by bringing the device close to. the head, the, teeth [T will engage the hair and movement of. thethuinb toward the fingers which is a natural grasping movement, will, act. to swing the thumb sectiondt forwardly, andupwardly, causing; the rockable cutter blade 39 to swing down.- wardl'y across the. stationary blade [4 in haircutting. relation. The blade SB'engages' thecutt'erbar i4 atan anglaas best showninFig. 5, and the. end of the blade 39 which. first. engages the cutterbar Hi, is rounded, as indicatedat 55 in Fig. 13'. The relation betweenthe end 55oftheblade 39'and the stationary cutterbar or blade. M is con.-

4 trolled by shaft adjustment 28, 2t, 38, described above. The other portions of the blade 39, as it moves across the fixed blade 14, are pressed against the latter by the spring 3d and associated parts, thereby assuring positive cutting or shearing action.

It is of course understood. that the specific description of structure set forth above may be de parted from without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed herein and as defined in the appended claims.

Having now described-myinventioml claim:

1. A hair cutting deviceparticularly adapted for self use, comprising a frame having a fingerhold section at one end and a toothed comb guide fixed to the other end and extending at an acute angle with respect to the frame, a fixed cutter bladeat. thebase portion of said toothed comb guide, a thumb-actuated part carried at said other endlof" the frame; and including a thumb-receiving section movable toward finger-hold section, an'dian oseillatable blade movable across said fixed cutter blade in a direction away from saidfingei: hold section.

2. A hair cutting device comprising a frame and. a. handle. having one. portion adapted to receive. the fingers oi. one hand of the user:. in combination with a comb iember. fixed. to said frame and making an acute. anglewith respect to said handle, a rotatable part oscillatably con.- nected with-th part, of said, iraineopposite the comb. member and including a thumb-receivinzz actuator movable toward and, away. from, said finger-receiving frame, portion. and a relatively fixedcuttcr bladecarried'by the adjacent the base of said comb member, a movable. cutter blade, carried, by, said oscillatable. part ina positionthereorr, to move therewith in hair cutting nel'ation .acrosssaid fixed blade when saidithumbe receiving actuator is shifted toward the first mentioned'. frame. portion, and spring, means con,- nected'. between said frame. and said oscillatable part, for shifting the latter inthe. other. direction when the. thumb pressure exerted thereagainstis relaxed.

3. A. hair. cutting device comprisingyairame having. oneportionadapted to receive the. fingers of? one hand of, the. user; a comb fixedto said frame, a. part oscillatably connected withthe op.- posits portion. of, said. irame and? including; a thumbrreceiving actuator movable. toward. and away from said finger-receiving, frame. portion, a relatively fixedcutterblade carricdby theirame adi'acentthe base. of saidcomb, and amovable cutter blade carriedlby. said oscillatable, part in a position. thereonto move. in, hair-cutting relation across said fixedlblade. whensaid thumb-receiving actuator. is shiitedtoward said first frame portion.

4. A. hair. cutting device comprising a. frame having afingcr. holdsecticn at. one. end, a comb guide; member at. the other end. of said, frame and extending divergingly toward saidfinger holdsec.. tion, hair cutting means adjacent said guide member, and a thumb-rcceiving part pivoted to said" frame adjacentto andoperatively connected with said cutting meansfor actuating the latter when said. thumb-receiving part is. oscillated toward said finger hold section.

5.. A hair. cutting device. comprising a frame having a finger-hold section at one end, a comb..- guide member. atthe. other end of said frame and extending divergingly toward. said; finger-hold section, a comb provided with curvedpins for insertion in the frame part, hair-cutting means, adjacent said guide, member, and a thumbrreceiving part pivoted to said frame adjacent to and opera tively connected with said hair-cutting means for actuating the latter When said thumb-receiving part is oscillated toward said finger-hold section.

WELLINGTON ARTHUR SNEED.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 332,030 Young Dec. 8, 1885 628,722 McCarter July 11, 1899 1,227,572 Bodene May 29, 1917 Number Germany Nov. 27, 1936 

